LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Analysis of the Spheres and Stages of Discipleship
Submitted to Dr. Donald Hicks
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
DSMN 500 – C01
Discipleship Ministries
by
Luke Lethco
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Contents
Introduction
Stages of Discipleship
Stage 1: Spiritually Dead
Stage 2: Spiritual Infancy
Stage 3: Spiritual Child
Stage 4: Spiritually Young
Stage 5: Spiritual Parent hood
Personal Examination
Spheres of Life
Sphere 1: Relationship with God
Sphere 2: Relationship with the Community
Sphere 3: Relationship with Family
Sphere 4: Relationship with the World
Personal Examination
Conclusion
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Introduction
When considering the spiritual Growth of a person there are several things that are vital
to remember. First one must remember that “spiritual formation is the process1 of being changed
to be more like Jesus.”2 With the understanding that the formation of a person is a process one
must remember that “people are complex; growth is multifaceted, even as it shows itself in
traceable patters.”3 What the author here is implying is that the growth of a person should be seen
often as “cyclical,”4 and not necessarily linear. Secondly one must recognize that Christian
growth takes the entirety of the person’s life there can be no half Christian. For the Christian this
means that for the Christian, “living on mission is not the career of a select few. It is the calling
of all disciples, commission to all disciples, and command for all disciples. We are all called as
missionaries.”5 Christian growth should therefore infect every sphere in which the person
operates. “Any disciple-making strategy that merely adds Jesus to already busy lives is doomed
for failure.”6
Finally, it is important to recognize the stage of spiritual growth in which a person is
operating, in order to disciple them appropriately. The ability for one to acknowledge the stages
of a person’s faith journey is worked pioneered by James Fowler. “By situating faith
development squarely within the domain of human development process, he has ‘dispelled the
1 Emphasis added
2 Dave Earley and Rod Dempsey, Spiritual Formation is…: How to Grow in Jesus with
Passion and Confidence (Nashville: B&H Academics, 20181), 4.
3 Jim Putman & Bobby Harrington, Disciple Shift: Five steps that help your church to
make Disciples who Make Disciples, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013), 73.
4 Ibid.
5 Dave Earley and Rod Dempsey, Disciple Making are…: How to live the Great
Commission with Passion and Confidence (Nashville: B&H Academics, 2013), 78.
6 Ibid.,86.
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notion that faith is above nature and therefore inaccessible to scientific investigation.”7 Plotting
the stages of spiritual development is therefore, not only possible but productive in
understanding spiritual growth. This reality is made clear through the writer of Hebrews stating,
“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the
basic principles of the oracles of God. You need mild, not solid food” (Hebrews 5:12 ESV).8
Knowing the stage of the discipleship process an individual is in helps the disciple maker
understand what to expect in the sanctification process.
Stages of Discipleship
As previously stated discipleship and spiritual formation is a process and therefore can be
divided in to stages by which a person can be categorized. Although, it is important to categorize
people into these different stages in order to properly understand how they may think. It is
equally important to understand that, “the path of growth is described in a linear fashio0n to help
you grasp the basic concept, but it is often cyclical. We often go back to earlier stages and find
areas of our lives where we are uneducated or self-centered.”9 One must also remember that
these stages of growth are not put in place to pass judgement. In naming these different stages of
spiritual growth, the goal is “to assess [the persons] level of spiritual maturity in order to help
them move forward and grow.”10 The five stages of spiritual growth that need to be understood
are: 1. Spiritually Dead, 2. Spiritual infancy, 3. Spiritual Child, 4. Spiritually young, and 5.
7 Donald Eric Lethco, “A covenantal Modal for Spiritual Growth and Discipleship with
Parkwood Baptist Church, Louisville Kentucky.” (DMin diss., The Southern Baptist Theological
Seminary, 1994), 62.
8 Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the English Standard
Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 200
9 Jim Putman & Bobby Harrington, Disciple Shift: Five steps that help your church to
make Disciples who Make Disciples, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013), 73.
10 Ibid., 56.
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Spiritual Parent. “As believers understand their identity, they are empowered by God to flesh out
their identity in everyday life,”11 and grow deeper in their understanding of the character of God.
Stage 1: Spiritually Dead
The spiritually dead person is the non-repentant or unconverted person. These are the
people who “have not yet accepted Christ as Lord and Savior.”12 Often times in the church world
the Christian find it incredulous how depraved non-Christians tend to act. However, a living
person should not expect a dead person to act alive. When a spiritually dead person revels in
their sin, “they are acting according to their dead human nature, and they cannot change until
they have been made alive in Christ.”13
It is therefore, the responsibility of the Christian to seek the salvation of the spiritually
dead before there can be an expectation of conviction or growth. Therefore, evangelism must be
the first step in the discipleship process. Jesus himself understood “the fickleness of depraved
human nature as well as the satanic forces of this world amassed against humanity, and in this
knowledge, he based his evangelism on a plan that would meet the need.”14 Coleman is
suggesting here that the Christian needs to select those whom they intend to disciple with
purpose in order to appropriately help lead them from a stage of spiritual death to spiritual life.
This is in full knowledge that it is only God who can bring the dead to life.
Stage 2: Spiritual Infancy
11 Ibid., 61.
12 Ibid.
13 Ibid.
14 Robert E. Coleman, The Master Plan of Evangelism (Grand Rapids, MI: Revell, 1993),
31.
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The Spiritually infant can also be called the new Christian. This is the point in time just
past conversion where like an infant the New Christian is at their most vulnerable. These people,
“tend to lack knowledge about what Jesus taugh. They are not unintelligent, they are simply
uniformed and in need of truth. Often, they are the product of the culture they live in.”15 What
these new Christian needs is someone who is able to walk with them regularly, patiently teaching
them the ways of God. “Knowledge [is] gained by association before it [is] understood by
explanation.”16 A person will learn how to be a Christian more effectively by association than in
a classroom setting. Jesus’ call was to “Follow me” (Mark 2:14) he understood discipleship takes
association, with those who are in their spiritual infancy.
Stage 3: Spiritual Child
As one begins to grow spiritually their viewpoint on the world begins to change
dramatically. The spiritual child is, “continuing to grow in their relationship with God, and they
are beginning to grow in their relationships with their Christians as well.”17 Dietrich Bonhoeffer
describes the spiritual child as wishful dreamers. Stating that, “they enter the community of
Christians with their demand, set up their own law, and judge one another and even God
accordingly.”18 The argument that is being made here is that the spiritual child has found a way to
make Christianity inward focused. Stating things such as, “I don’t know if this church is meeting
my needs anymore.”19 The tendency for the spiritually mature is to write this person off as
15 Jim Putman & Bobby Harrington, Disciple Shift: Five steps that help your church to
make Disciples who Make Disciples, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013), 63.
16 Robert E. Coleman, The Master Plan of Evangelism (Grand Rapids, MI: Revell, 1993),
38.
17 Jim Putman & Bobby Harrington, Disciple Shift: Five steps that help your church to
make Disciples who Make Disciples, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013), 65.
18 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2015), 10.
19 Jim Putman & Bobby Harrington, Disciple Shift: Five steps that help your church to
make Disciples who Make Disciples, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013), 66.
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difficult then the solution is to continue to disciple this person through selection, association, and
concentration. The mature Christian must follow the command of Jesus to, “[teach] them to
observe all that I commanded you” (Matthew 28:20), in order for the spiritual child to mature
into the next stages.
Stage 4: Spiritually Young
The young adult stage of spiritual development is where a person begins to see true
selfless Christianity. “Spiritual young adults are making a shift from being self-centered to being
God- and other-centered.”20 Enthusiasm and rapid growth are biproducts of the spiritual young
adult. They are beginning to recognize the truth that “every Christian is either a missionary or an
imposter.’ Disciples do not live as mere church member.”21 It is in this stage of spiritual
development that the person begins to seek to become disciple makers and leaders within the
body.
Stage 5: Spiritual Parents
When speaking of the spiritual parent is must be clear that there is one “God and Father
of all, who is over all and through all, and in all.” (Ephesians 4:6) It is only because of the grace
of God that one can be brought to life and therefore, God is the only father. However, “grace was
given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ gift.” (Ephesians 4:7) It is through this
grace that God allows mature Christians to act as spiritual parents to people for the purpose of
growth in the body. This is because under the plan of God, “spiritually mature people make
20 Jim Putman & Bobby Harrington, Disciple Shift: Five steps that help your church to
make Disciples who Make Disciples, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013), 67.
21 Dave Earley and Rod Dempsey, Disciple Making is…: How to live the Great
Commission with Passion and Confidence (Nashville: B&H Academics, 2013), 77.
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disciples (have spiritual children, so to speak).”22 Reproduction should be the goal of the spiritual
parent. The ideas are for disciple makers, making, disciple makers. This is the way in which the
cause of Christ spreads throughout the world, and it is “by this strategy, the conquest of the
world [is] only a matter of time.”23 It therefore should be the goal of every Christian to be leading
someone through the stages of Christians growth in doing this they are guaranteed to grow
themselves.
Personal Examination
Understanding the stages of spiritual growth are important for spiritual development,
however, a mark of spiritual maturity is the ability to recognize that stage your personal stage
and when you are moving forward or in a season of drift. As I examine my own personal life I
find myself currently in between two stages. Life timothy I have found myself thrust into
leadership and growth. While simultaneously seeking mentorship and guidance. I am currently
working as a spiritual parent to several college age students where we are walking through life
together, and I am being led by my mentor needing all the help I can get. I believe however that
this could be the nature of the stages of spiritual growth. The Christian will usually find
themselves in multiple stages moving from one to the other until they are able to walk in the
presence of the almighty.
22 Jim Putman & Bobby Harrington, Disciple Shift: Five steps that help your church to
make Disciples who Make Disciples, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013), 69.
23 Robert E. Coleman, The Master Plan of Evangelism (Grand Rapids, MI: Revell, 1993),
38.
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In regards to the Personal assessment, I am not a fan of these types of assessment as a
tool due to the fact of the subjective nature of both the test taker and the text creator. As the test
taker, it is almost impossible not to think too highly or too lowly of myself skewing answers. As
a creator, how do I create a test that gets to the heart of spiritual growth for all people? It is
purely not possible.
Spheres of Life
In the Christian search for holiness it is important to recognize that this life is made of up
different overlapping spheres. These spheres are composed by how a person interacts with the
world around them, including, God, the church, their family, and the lost in whom they have
constant access. Because they are different but overlapping circles there can and often is a
different rate of submission and growth that happens. In the identification of these spheres one is
able to recognize and grow according to the will of God.
Sphere 1: Relationship with God
In order to have spiritual growth in any aspect of life God must be the center of all of
everything that life. “This sphere is the core, the hub that unites the other spheres together.”24 The
centrality of Christ in the life of the Christian is the most important part of that life. “any
disciple-making strategy that merely adds Jesus to already busy lives is doomed for failure.
Potential disciples must be called to forsake all to follow Jesus.”25 It is therefore precisely
because “Jesus is the Christ, [that] he has the authority to call and to demand obedience to his
24 Jim Putman & Bobby Harrington, Disciple Shift: Five steps that help your church to
make Disciples who Make Disciples, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013), 85.
25 Dave Earley and Rod Dempsey, Disciple Making is…: How to live the Great
Commission with Passion and Confidence (Nashville: B&H Academics, 2013), 86.
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world.”26 Therefore any spiritual growth must begin with a recognition and a release to the
centrality of Christ in the life of the Christian.
Sphere 2: Relationship with Community
“If the first sphere of relationship is our relationship with Jesus. It should naturally lead
us to living with and love others in the second sphere, our relationship within the family of
God.”27 Human beings were designed for relationship. The bible teaches that God humans are
made in the image of God28 who is himself the only perfectly functioning community. It is for
this reason that Christian community is so vitally important. However, Christian community is
only possible through the centrality of Christ. “Our community consist solely in what Christ has
done to both of us…I have community with others and will continue to have it only thorough
Jesus Christ.”29 Christian community therefore, exists as the mode of discipleship and the
catalyst for evangelism.
Sphere 3: Relationships with Family
The rallying call of the Christian life is “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19)
This simple verse produces for the Christian life the mission in which everyone is supposed to
participate. However, there is one sphere of life that can all too easily be left out of this mission.
The home should be the greatest mission field of every believer, however, “this sphere is
26 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship (New York, NY: Touchstone, 1959), 57-
58.
27 Jim Putman & Bobby Harrington, Disciple Shift: Five steps that help your church to
make Disciples who Make Disciples, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013), 86-87.
28 Gen. 1:27
29 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2015), 9.
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important for us to address, because it is possible for people to grasp the concepts of the gospel
but fail to apply them in the home.”30 It therefore become easy to “do the work of an evangelist”
(2 Timothy 4:5), and mis the family unit in the process. However, “every believer is supposed to
make disciples, and the mist important place to focus is in our homes.”31
Sphere 4: Relationship with the World
Often times evangelism and missions is connected to a vocation or an occupation. Many
Christians operate as if missions is a special calling from God that a person needs. However, all
Christian’s must interact with the world in a way that leads people to trust in the cross of Jesus
Christ. The reality is that, “mission is not something the church does for God. It is, rather, the
church getting in sync with the heart of God and cooperating with the activity of God.”32 As one
begins to synchronize all aspects of their life around the centrality of Christ the natural outflow is
the Gospel. This gospel will present itself in both words and action. However, when Christ is not
central this relationship with the world is the hardest to get in sync with the gospel.
Personal Examination
Human nature and the will of Jesus tend to find themselves at odds. As a follower us
Jesus one must die to self and abandon their own desires in order to truly make Christ central.
However, this can be the hardest aspect of the Christian walk. As I began to ask the question
what sphere of life am I not fully surrendered in I realized that this answer is the same for all
Christians. Whether you believer that you are not surrendered in Christian community or in your
30 Jim Putman & Bobby Harrington, Disciple Shift: Five steps that help your church to
make Disciples who Make Disciples, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013), 87.
31 Ibid., 88
32 Dave Earley and Rod Dempsey, Disciple Making is…: How to live the Great
Commission with Passion and Confidence (Nashville: B&H Academics, 2013), 78.
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relationship to the world the heart of the matter is that Christ is not central. For me I believe that
my lack of evangelism is directly related to my fear which means that my relationship with Jesus
is not as central as it should be. Bonhoeffer would agree with this sentiment. He wrote that “the
first step, which follows the call, cuts the disciple off from his previous existence.”33 When we
decide to hold onto our old life we are unable to make Christ the central driver of our lives.
Conclusion
Christ is not our co-pilot he is the plane. We cannot expect our spheres of existence to
look like Christ if he is not the vehicle by which we see the world. Bonhoeffer said it this way,
“the disciple places himself in the Master’s disposal, but at the same time retains the right to
dictate his own terms. But then discipleship is no longer discipleship, but a programme of our
own to be arranged to suit ourselves.”34 The question therefore become, how does on actually
submit to the lordship of Jesus on a daily basis. The answer to this question is clearly articulated
by Jesus himself. Jesus said “if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up
his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life
for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 1624-25) A disciple of Jesus is one who by nature follows his
teach. The mark of Jesus is death; therefore, the Christian must be willing to give up everything
for the cause of Christ. Totally submission begins with a willing abandonment. Or to put it
another way, “the disciple is dragged out of his relative security into a life of absolute
insecurity”35 The exciting part however is that we as Christian’s are not called to submit our lives
on our own. It is only through the work of the Holy Spirit, personal willingness, and Christian
community will we be able to fully make Christ central in our lives.
33 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship (New York, NY: Touchstone, 1959), 57-
62.
34 Ibid., 61.
35 Ibid., 58.
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Bibliography
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of Discipleship. New York, NY: Touchstone, 1959.
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Life Together. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2015.
Coleman, Robert E. The Master Plan of Evangelism. Grand Rapids, MI: Revell, 1993.
Earley, David, and Rod Dempsey. Disciple-Making Is…: How to Live the Great Commission
with Passion and Confidence. Nashville, TN: B&H Academics, 2013.
Earley, David, and Rod Dempsey. Spiritual Formation Is…: How to Grow in Jesus with Passion
and Confidence. Nashville, TN: B&H Academics, 2018.
Lethco, D. Eric. “A Covenantal Model for Spiritual Growth and Discipleship with Parkwood
Baptist Church, Louisville, Kentucky.” DMin diss., The Southern Baptist Theological
Seminary, 1994.
Putman, Jim, and Bobby Harrington. DiscipleShift: Five Steps That Help Your Church to Make
Disciples Who Make Disciples. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2013
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